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Zero-point energy, also known as vacuum energy, is the lowest energy a quantum mechanical system can have. It has been experimentally confirmed through the Casimir effect, where two metal plates in a vacuum experience slight attraction or repulsion due to virtual particles. While it is a fascinating phenomenon, it is unlikely to be harnessed for free energy. Early calculations of its magnitude were misleading and physicists are working to establish a consistent model.
Zero-point energy is a small amount of energy that exists throughout space. It is also known as vacuum energy. In other words, zero-point energy is the lowest possible energy a quantum mechanical physical system can have, otherwise known as ground state energy. The term and concept have been co-opted by pseudoscientific proponents of free energy in recent decades, but it was originally proposed by Albert Einstein and Otto Stern in 1913. The quantum mechanical system that corresponds to zero-point energy is called a zero-point field. .
The existence of zero-point energy has been confirmed experimentally, in what is called the Casimir experiment. The Casimir experiment consists of placing two discharged metal plates very close to each other in a vacuum. Sensitive equipment reveals that there is a slight attraction – or sometimes, repulsion, depending on the disposition – between the two, even in the complete absence of any other force.
This can be explained in terms of virtual particles continuously flashing in and out of existence quadrillions of times per second around the plates. The degree of separation between the plates limits the type of particles that can exist flashing, and if the plates are very close together, this creates a net inward pressure. When the plates are placed 10 nanometers (about 100 times the diameter of an atom) apart from each other, the pressure is equivalent to about 1 atmosphere.
The zero-point energy manifested by the Casimir effect is very small, so it is highly doubtful that it can be harnessed to create “free energy” devices, as people have claimed has been possible for decades. The Casimir effect is a very interesting physical phenomenon, however, and an active area of research. Since the Casimir effect becomes the dominant force operating on very small length scales in the absence of electromagnetic charges, understanding it is very important for the design of small machines, including micro and nano machines.
An early calculation of the magnitude of zero-point energy calculated that the total energy in a cubic meter of vacuum would be enough to boil all of the world’s oceans. This figure may have inspired non-physicists to wistfully imagine that it could easily be harnessed to produce free energy. However, it has become clear that this calculation appears to contradict the first law of thermodynamics and our understanding of the cosmology of the universe. It does not take into account the fact that the initial value of the energy at the Big Bang would progressively decrease as the universe expanded. This confusion has led to a major push among physicists to establish a model of zero-point energy density that is consistent with observation.
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